Autobrake brake control systems have been in widespread use for many years. Such systems enable a vehicle, such as an aircraft, to be quickly and safely brought to a stop. More particularly, autobrake functionality allows a pilot to select from several automatic deceleration levels for landing, or to arm a rejected take off (RTO) setting prior to takeoff. During autobraking, pressure is automatically applied to the brakes independent of the pilot's brake pedals. In multiwheel vehicles, the same pressure is usually applied to all the wheels. The system regulates brake pressure to compensate for various effects, such as aircraft drag, thrust reversers, and spoilers, to maintain the selected deceleration level. A typical autobrake system has at least three levels of deceleration: low, medium, and maximum. Depending on the selected level of deceleration, the plane will automatically decelerate after landing based on the selected deceleration level.
To implement autobraking functionality, autobrake control systems rely on velocity data to determine a deceleration rate of the vehicle. Typically, this data is at least partially derived from wheel speed sensors operatively coupled to corresponding wheels. The data from the wheel speed sensors is provided to a brake system control unit (BSCU) and based thereon, the vehicle velocity and deceleration rate is determined. Application of the brakes then is controlled by the BSCU so as achieve autobrake control.
As is the case with many components of a vehicle, periodic maintenance is performed on the autobrake control system to ensure proper operation and to repair and/or replace system components, if needed. Preferably, such maintenance includes exercising the respective functions in real-world conditions while in a controlled environment, such as an aircraft hanger or maintenance bay. However, since autobrake control utilizes vehicle speed data to implement the respective control routines, such data is difficult to obtain while the vehicle is undergoing maintenance (e.g., while in a hanger or maintenance bay). Thus, performing real-world tests on the autobrake system can be difficult.